you're my valentine in any month of the year
by unsheltered
Summary: "why serve eggnog at a halloween dance? this ain't christmas, fools." for lisa, & the halloween exchange.


disclaimed.

**rated:** T  
><strong>title:<strong> you're my valentine in october and any month of the year  
><strong>summary:<strong> "why serve eggnog at a halloween dance? this ain't christmas, fools."  
><strong>pairing:<strong> massie & griffin  
><strong>genre:<strong> romance, humor, friendship  
><strong>length:<strong> one-shot/drabble type o'thing  
><strong>prompts:<strong> wild berry flavored gum, bath & body works, eggnog, a ferris wheel

**for:** the Halloween exchange  
><strong>who i got:<strong> my very special friend, _lisa_. i love you, girl. (:

-0-

"You drag me all the way out to a cornfield for some haunted house thing, and it's not even scary. Way to go, best friend," the bored voice of Derrick Harrington drawled.

I sighed. "First of all, I didn't 'drag you all the way out to a cornfield' because – uh, hello? – you live about six minutes away from said cornfield. Second, you wouldn't know if it's scary or not _because we aren't even in the house yet!_" I sighed. "Be more patient."

He smirked at me. "C'mon, Block, you can't honestly think that something like that" – he nodded towards the haunted house – "would ever be scary?" I took a look at the haunted house that Talladega Frights had put together. It was tall and pretty much looked like a mansion, and it loomed above every person standing on the ground. It was decorated with cobwebs – unless they were real. There were a lot of windows – _a lot_.

"Derrick, I bet if we were at the top of the house, all the people down here would look like ants."

"Keep on dreaming, Princess. They'll look like giants when we're standing at the very tippy-top of the house. And when you're wrong, we're going to go to Slice of Heaven –"

I cut him off. "And you're going to pay for the pizza when I'm right."

Derrick started coughing. I would've believed it, if he didn't say 'wrong' while _fake_-coughing. "If this is going to be so _terrifying_, why have a _ferris wheel_ right next to the haunted house?"

I looked. "Hey, at least it's decorated!" _With black and orange lights.._

-0-

I felt on top of the world – really. Being on top of the Talladega Frights haunted house made me feel free. The slight breeze ruffled my brown locks, and I looked over New York's skyline. Lights – so many lights – illuminated the dark sky, just like every other night. I sighed. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Beside me, Derrick snorted. "The sky and the lights? Sure."

I turned to look at him. "What's got you in such a prissy mood?"

He ran a hand through his messy hair and let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, Block, I know you didn't want to go this year, I mean, after everything that's happened to you, I wouldn't want to go either, but Claire texted me, and –"

"You want to go to the Halloween dance because Claire is, don't you?" I looked back at the horizon.

"Yes. No. Both." He fished for something in the back pockets of his jeans and shoved his phone in my face.

**CLAIRE LYONS: hey, derrick. i'm going to the halloween dance tonight. wanna join me? (;**

"C'mon, Mass," He was practically begging, "_the_ Claire Lyons winked at me!"

Briarwood High's Definition of Claire Lyons: the unattainable, very attractive (from a guy's point of view. I on the other hand don't see what every guy sees in her.), undeniably popular It Girl. And to top it all off, she's friendly. And she lives in my guest house. And she doesn't hate me.

"She winked at you," I started slowly, and Derrick nodded eagerly, "though a text. Derrick, a _text_." He opened his mouth to say something (most likely something _stupid_), so I added, "But, go ahead." I put my upmost sincere feelings into the next words. "Have fun!"

He grinned from one ear to the slightly smaller one. But then that grin faded just a little. "You mean you're not gonna come?"

I shook my head. "I don't really want to. But don't let me keep you here, really! You just saved me from not having to buy you a pizza – you were right, it wasn't really that scary."

The truth? I didn't want to go because I knew who would go. Griffin Hastings. Probably the one guy I've ever really liked – besides Derrick, of course, but I got over that. I knew that if I went, I'd be hanging around Claire (and her snotty, bratty friends), who would be around Derrick, (since, y'know, the whole text thing) who would be around Griffin because they (Derrick and Griffin) were friends, and I'd make a fool out of myself in front of Griffin somehow.

Unfortunately, Derrick saw right through my little white lie. "You don't want to be around Griffin, huh?"

"No! Derrick, really, go and have fun with Claire!" _Please don't go. Don't leave me alone._

Being the adamant Derrick he is, he refused to go without me. "I'm not leaving you alone." I relaxed. "You're going to the dance with me!"

I buried my face in my hands.

"See, you're so happy that you need to hide you're smile from me! So, you're very welcome, Block."

I started to smile.

-0-

As soon as I walked through Briarwood High's old, creaky cafeteria doors, my eyes were bombarded with flashing orange and black lights.

As soon as Derrick walked through Briarwood High's old, creaky cafeteria doors, however, he abandoned me for Claire. Which, is pretty understandable, I guess. He's had the biggest crush on her since _forever_.

_Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzzzzt._

**CAM FISHER: hey, not to be creepy or stalker-ish or whatever, but i see you. (:  
>MASSIE BLOCK: stalker-ish and creepy is what that text is, fisher. :P<br>CAM FISHER: you scar me.  
>MASSIE BLOCK: you love me.<br>CAM FISHER: i'm coming to give you a piece of my mind, miss massie.  
>MASSIE BLOCK: -fake terrified expression here- i'm so scared. <strong>

"You should be scared," Cam Fisher's voice whispered in her ear. Cam Fisher appeared before her, arms stretched out wide. "Come and give me a hug, Block."

I shook my head, but hugged him anyways. "You sounded like a pedophile just then, Fisher. Don't go scaring the innocent."

We parted, and stood side by side, watching everyone. "I heard about –"

"No need to bring it up, Cam, really. I know. I get it." Cam Fisher was my other best friend, besides Derrick. If Derrick was my bodyguard, then Cam was the big teddy bear that I could cuddle up to and cry on. I just didn't feel like doing that right now, breaking down. "Anyways, how's the family? I haven't been around for a while."

"Mom's working too much, Harris is stressed out 'cause of college, Dad's trying to find a job … the usual, actually. It's been too quiet in the Fisher residence." Cam swished the liquid around in the red party cup he had in his hand. He gave it to me. I sniffed it. Eggnog.

"Why serve eggnog at a Halloween party? Don't they know that it isn't Christmas yet? Those fools," I mumbled. Cam stifled a laugh.

I watched as Claire and Derrick chatted and laughed. How Dylan Marvil, Skye Hamilton, and Kristen Gregory were surrounded by Josh Hotz, Chris Abeley, Danny Robbins, and … Griffin Hastings. The lights made his light blond hair look like the most awkward shade of brown. He was casually dressed: jeans and a black t-shirt.

I sighed and looked away. "Maybe we should go play Guitar Hero at your house so it won't be so quiet anymore."

_Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzzzzt._

**DERRICK HARRINGTON: you and fisher. butts over here. now.  
>MASSIE BLOCK: no thanks, harrington. i'll have to pass.<br>DERRICK HARRINGTON: wasn't a choice. a demand.  
>MASSIE BLOCK: you aren't my dad.<br>DERRICK HARRINGTON: maybe not, but i know him.**

I groaned.

**MASSIE BLOCK: i hate you.  
>DERRICK HARRINGTON: no you don't. <strong>

"Let's go, Fisher, move those legs," I mumbled. I grabbed his hand and led him to where Derrick and Claire were. Which just so happened to be where Griffin was.

**MASSIE BLOCK: no, really, i do. so much.  
>DERRICK HARRINGTON: -smug smile-<strong>

And when I looked right at Derrick, he really did have a smug smile on, and it bugged me so much, I wanted to slap his face until it came off. Claire gave a little cough, and I glanced at her, to see that she was looking down at my right hand.

Which was still holding Cam's left one.

And I realized that that's what Derrick was looking so smug about, although I don't know why. I also realized that Claire wasn't the only one looking at our entwined hands.

Griffin was, too.

I couldn't decipher the look on his face because, as usual, he kept it blank. Griffin was the kind of person who never let out his feelings – or at least, that what I've noticed. And I notice a lot about Griffin Hastings.

His eyes are this really pretty hazel color, and I could get lost in them for hours.

He works at Bath & Body Works, although I don't think he made a _choice_ to work there. If he did, that's manly.

He has an angular face, but really nice smiles, even though he doesn't do it a lot.

His laugh is loud – like a guffaw.

He chews gum every day that I've seen him.

Wild berry is his favorite flavor of gum.

He taps his fingernails when he's nervous or bored.

He hates it when girls act all stupid around guys thinking it'll impress them.

He loves it when a girl is smarter than he is.

(Okay, I admit, that last one I want to be true.)

Claire walked over and stood on the other side of me. She rubbed my arm sympathetically and said, "Derrick told me what happened," No shock. "And I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what you've had to go through, even though that has never happened to me and you've probably heard those two words a lot since then, huh?" At my nod, she continued. "The point is, since I live in your guesthouse and all, I want to be your friend. We aren't really on good terms, although I have no idea why, but I want to change that. Are you okay with that, Massie?"

Then I saw what everybody else saw in Claire. She deeply cared for people. She was a down-to-Earth person. I slightly smiled, and laughed. "Sure, Claire. Absolutely."

I was actually having a good time with Claire, Derrick, and Cam. Griffin was there, too, but he didn't say much. He kept glancing at me after I had let go of Cam's hand. I eventually went outside and onto the roof for some fresh air and a place where I could see regularly.

I sat on the edge of the roof watched as taxis raced to get their costumers to their desired destinations in the distance, and as pedestrians walked on the sidewalks, some with dogs, others holding hands.

The roof door opened and a body plumped down next to mine. "It's really a sight, isn't it?" Griffin Hasting's voice sounded in my ear, his warm breath on my neck.

He smelled like wild berry flavored gum. Yum.

"It really is." And I smiled because it was.

He took my hand, and I wasn't about to object.

We stayed like that, watching Westchester, holding hands.

-0-

**this probably made no sense,  
>at all, and<br>sorry if the ending sucked that bad.**  
><strong>writer's block sucks,<strong>  
><strong>and i wrote this in an hour,<strong>  
><strong>and today,<strong>  
><strong>because i am the world's biggest procrastinator,<strong>  
><strong>so i apologize,<strong>  
><strong>lise,<strong>  
><strong>'cause you deserve better,<strong>  
><strong>because you're better than the best.<strong>

(:

**and i realize that i never said**  
><strong>what had happened<strong>  
><strong>to massie.<strong>  
><strong>use your <strong>  
><strong>very creative<strong>  
><strong>imaginations<strong>  
><strong>and make something<strong>  
><strong>up. <strong>


End file.
